Can for ice manufacture.



Patented Oct. 7, I902.

L. BLOCK.

CAN FOR ICE MANUFACTURE.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1901.)

(In Modal.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BLOCK, OF MAHARONECK, NEIV YORK.

CAN FOR ICE MANUFACTURE. I

SEEGIFJICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,662, dated October 7, 1902. Application filed November 22, 1901. Serial No. 83,290. (No model.)

To (all 1071/0177. it mm/ 7 concern.-

lle it known that I, LOUIS BLOCK, a citizen ofthe United States, resid ing at Mamaroneck, .Vestchester county, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and use 'fnl Improvement in Cans for Ice Manufactn re, of which the following is a specification.

Hy improved can is intended to work in a.

long-approved manner, being made of galvanized sheet-iron or other strong heat-conducting material of the long-approved size and form, filled with clean water, and immersed in a tank'ol' brine, which latter is kept at low temperature by pipes conveying expanded ammonia. My invention reduces the difficulties heretofore experiencedin relation to cores. In the ordinary mode of operating the rectangular can becomes lined with a gradnally-increasing thickness of ice, the freezing operation driving inward into the smaller quantity remaining in the center all the impurities which are present in the water. I provide for disposing of these by defending the bottom of the can by surrounding it with an air-space, and when the ice above has closed the central passage and there remains a small quantity of water in the center of the bottom, as the freezing progresses this water is, by the expansion due to freezing, forced downward out of the mass of ice proper which is forming. Experiments in this direction indicate that the rapid cooling of the contained water induced by the contact of the very cold brine with the I exterior of the can above is not entirely prevented at the bottom by such a non-conductor. The ice makes on the interior of the bottom by virtue of the conduction of heat downward along the metal portion. I guard against ice forming in the bottom of the can.

porarily fill the air-space in the bottom when the ice is to be discharged and to perform the further function of allowing the air ingress and egress when water is admitted and discharged and also when the diaphragm, to be described further on, rises and sinks as the freezing proceeds. After the ice has been relieved from adhesion to the sides and bottom and has been removed from the can the tepid water, which has thawed the bottom su fficiently to release it, is discharged through the same passage by simply inverting the can, and the whole is ready to be again filled and immersed in the brine-tank, and the operation repeated indefinitely. The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention. Theaccompanyingdrawingsform a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section showing the condition at an early stage in the freezing. The dotted lines show the condition after the freezing is further advanced. Fig. 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is asection corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing the flexible portion of the bottom depressed. ,Fig. 3 is a section of a portion on a larger scale corre sponding to Fig. 1. The remaining figures are on a smaller scale, showing modifications. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section. Fig. 5 is a corresponding plan view. Fig. 6 is a central vertical section. Fig. 1; isa corresponding section showing the cam inverted. Fig. 7 is a central vertical section showing the construction at an early stage as operating without a valve. Fig. "8 is a section corresponding to Fig. 7, showing the condition at a late stage in the freezing. Fig. 9 isa verticalsection showing a further slight modificationat an early stage. Fig. 10 is a corresponding section showing the condition of the last form at a later stage, and Fig. 11 a vertical section showing a widely differentconstruction involving a portion of the invention. Fig.12 is a section of the central portion of the construction shown in Fig. 11 on a larger scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where they appear.

Referring to Figs. 1, 1*, 2, and 3, A is the main body of the cam, A a fiat portion of the bottom, A an offset, and A an inner horizontal portion of the metallic bottom of the can proper.

Bis a diaphragm,of leather, soft vulcanized rubber, or other sufficiently flexible material, riveted to the part A by the aid of a narrow encircling strip G. In the center of this diaphragm is a valve opening downward, which will be described farther on.

D is What I term an air-casing, although it is sometimes filled with water. It envelops the bottom of the can with a space or chamber (Z between. This casing extends upward on the exterior of the can and is secured by riveting or soldering, or both.

E is a pipe extending up and down .within the can. Its lower end connects with the interior of the air-casing D through a hole a. Its upper end communicates with the atmosphere near the top of the can. This pipe is metal, to conduct the heat rapidly inthe act of thawing out. It is half round, audits flat side is applied against the interior of the can and soldered or brazed. The arrangement facilitates the discharge of water from the space d when the can is inverted, such dis charge being one of the functions performed by this pipe after a cake of ice has been separated from the can and it is required simply to condition the can to serve again.

G is a casting forming a rigid portion in the center of the generally-flexible diaphragm B and serving as a valve-seat. I is a valve guided in this valve-seat and opening downward. It is held up to its seat by a spiral spring J, housed in the seat, all as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

K is what I term the bottom spring, abutting on the bottom of the air-casing D and pressed upward with gentle force against the valve-seat G. It should have sufficient tension to hold the diaphragm and the valve up above the plane condition when the can is filled with water. So soon as extraordinary pressure is developed by the freezing after the top of the water is frozen over the tension of this spring will 'be. overcome and the diaphragm will be forced downward. I determine by trial or otherwise the tension of this spring K and nicely adjust by the nut K and jam-nut K the tension of the other spring J, so that it will allow the diaphragm to be gently deflected downward before the valve I will open to deliver the Water. I have provided for successfully working without nice adjustments; but when all the parts work perfectly the diaphragm will first sink down a little below the plane position, and later as the pressure induced by the freezing increases the valve will open and deliver the last increment of water, containing all the impurities, down into the air-casing. In case the valve for any reason fails to openthe diaphragm and the supporting-spring K can under the great stress yield downward still farther, and in case the freezing is continued there will be a small projection of discolored ice to be cut olf and rejected after the ice is removed from the can.

In the operation of my apparatus the can is filled to the proper extent with sufficiently pure water and is immersed in the brine to the ordinaryextent and allowed to remain. Although the air-casing D extends upward and defends the lower portion of the can proper against the direct contact of the intenselycold brine, experience in this art teaches that the freezing efiect extends down- Ward on the inside of the can through the conducting power of the metal, and ice is formed, though less rapidly, within the lower portion of the side wall A of the can and also on the plane portion A and the offset A of the metal bottom. The diaphragm B being a good'non-conductor, the metal portions in the center retain their warmth, and ice will rarely be formed on these parts so as everto obstruct the working of the valve. Under ordinary conditions so soon as the closing of the ice above has imprisoned a quantity of water in the center of the bottom of the can this wamass originally supplied,will be forced downward through the valve against the action of the gentlespring J and will be harmlessly retained in the bottom of the air-casing D. In the possible event that the valve may freeze or that through any other cause, as a too great stiffness of the spring J, the valve does not afford sufficient relief, the flexible character of the diaphragm allows it to be depressed, and it assumes the position shown in Fig. 2. In the first case described the impure and discolored water which has collected in the central portion of the bottom ofthe can is discharged downward through the valve and lies in the bottom of the air-casing D. In the latter case the discoloredwater or a portion of it will be held above the diaphragm; but by virtue ofthe offset A and the further depressed condition of the main body of the diaphragm such water will lie in so low a position that it will be below the main body of the ice cake. In the first case it will be entirely harmless. In the latter case it will, if the operation of freezing is allowed to proceed too far, be finally frozen into and form a portion of the mass of ice, being detached and coming out of the can with the cake of ice proper; but it will be in the form of a stained projection in the center of the bottom, so that it can be easily removed by sawing or by one or more clips with an ax or other convenient implement.

The operation of removing the ice from the can is simple. The whole mass when properly frozen,or even if too m uch frozen,as above provided for, is immersed in the tepid water to a su fficient extent to slightly warm the whole can so far as exposed and also to allow the tepid water to flow down through the pipe E and fill the chamber cl, inclosed by the air-casing D. Such water warms the lower portion of the case A and the metallic bottom A A A and also the valve. It also warms, though less rapidly,the non-con .luctingdiaphragm B. My experiments indicate that the ice will become detached from the bottom simultaneously with or very soon after its liberation from the main portion of the can A. After the ice is discharged the can is inverted, and the water runs out through the pipe E. If a little remains, it will lie in the bottom of the aircasing D and be harmless during the next operation.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. Instead of making the pipe E half round and applying it with the flat side against the interior of the can it may be round and in either form may extend up and down the exterior of the can. When in the interior, it may lie in a corner and may also extend in a straight line through the part A of the bottom. Forming the valveseat in a separate piece from the casting G would facilitate the removal of the valve and its seat for examination or repairs, and I propose to do so if required; but the seat and casting is more simply made all in one, as shown. Instead of the nut K and jam-nut K on the upper end of the valve-stem I can employ a washer and a transverse pin or any other mode of making a suitable abutment for the spring. I prefer the nut and jam-nut, because they allow the force of the spring to be adjusted by screwing down and securing the nut in any required position, so that the valve will stay closed reliably against the sim-.

ple hydrostatic pressure of the filled can, but will open and allow the discharge of the water as soon as the pressure above is increased by tne freezing.

Figs. & and 5 show a corresponding construction with the omission of the offset A in the bottom.

Fig. 6 shows a corresponding construction with the pipe E* on the outside of the can.

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 show a similar constructiou, but with the valve entirely omitted. Figs. 7 and 8 show the rigid portion of the bottom sunk. Figs. 9 and 10 show it flat. In both forms the diaphragm must be sufficiently large and of such material as to yield by its flexibility and elasticity to the extent required.

Instead of a number of small holes (1 in the base of the hollow casing D, which incloses the spring K and guides the valve-seat G as it rises and sinks, I can have larger openings, or the whole casing can be open-work. It is sufficient that the impure water delivered downward through the valve I is allowed to flow out freely and lie in the bottom of the space (Z. There may be no pipe, but simply a plug \V in a hole in one of the sides of the casing D. \Vhen the valve I and its adjusted spring J is employed, I can dispense with flexibility of the bottom. Figs. 11 and 12 show a form involving both these modifications.

When wood is used, I propose to saturate it with oil or para'ffin to reduce the chance of adhesion of the ice thereto.

I claim as my invention 1. A can for manufacturing ice provided with a non-conductingflexible diaphragm in its base, a casing inclosing air to form a non.- conducting envelop below and also extending upward around such base, adapted toserve substantially as herein specified.

2. A can for manufacturing ice provided with a non-conducting flexible diaphragm in,

its base, a casing inclosiug air to form a nonconducting envelop below and also extending upward around such base, and provisions E a for allowing such casing to receive tepid Water to liberate the ice, all substantially as 1 casing inclosing air to form a non-conducting envelop below and around such base, a selfacting valve I in the base arranged to allow water to be discharged downward from the can into such case, and a pipe or pipes extending up and down the can arranged to serve the triple function of allowing air to enter and escape freely, allowing tepid water to enter and liberate the bottom of the ice cake by thawing and allowing such water to be discharged by inverting the can, all substantially as herein specified.

5. A can for manufacturing ice provided with a non-conducting flexible diaphragm in its base, a casing inclosing air to form a nonconducting envelop below and around such base, a pipe extending up and down the can arranged to serve the triple function of allowing the air to enter and escape freely allowing the tepid water to enter and liberate the bottom of the ice cake by thawing and allowing such water to be discharged byinverting the can, and a self-acting valve 1 in the base arranged to allow water to be discharged, all substantially as herein specified.

6. A can for manufacturingice provided with a non-conducting flexible diaphragm in its base, a casing inclosing air to form a nonconducting envelop below and around such base, a pipe extending up and down the can arranged to serve the triple function of allowing the air to enter and escape freely allowing the tepid water to enter and liberate the bot tom of the ice cake by thawing, and allowing such water to be discharged by inverting the can, and a self-acting valve I in the base arranged to allow water to be discharged, in

combination with each other and with means for holding up such diaphragm with gentle and yielding force, and a spring J holding such valve to its sent with means for adjustment so that with a gradually-increasing pressure of the Water the diaphragm will first partially sink and afterward the valve will open, all substantially as herein specified.

I In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afiix my signature in presx0 I enee of two Witnesses.

l I l LOUIS BLOCK.

\Vitnesses:

J. B. CLAUTIOE, M. F. BOYLE. 

